Wherever Life Takes Us
by Brilliant Brunette Beauty
Summary: Shay Mellark isn't happy when she has to move to District 4. She expects a normal time near her friends. What happens when she is caught up in a feud, a forbidden romance, and hidden secrets? Will she be able to have a happy ending? Please review. Note: Finnick never died.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story is basically about the life of Katniss and Peeta's daughter, Shay, as she goes through her daily life with the other victor kids. Note: Finnick never died and Gale and Johanna got married and had kids. Please read and review! I'm no Shakespesre, but I work very hard on my stories! Sequel to '_Shaylee Primrose_', '_My Girl_' and '_Always My Little Girl_', but you don't have to read those to understand what's going on.**

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Today, my life changes forever in two ways. First of all, it's the day I've been waiting for my entire life. I, Shay Mellark, am sixteen. Now I have more freedom, but also more responsiblities. The second change? We're moving to District 4 until further notice.

Yes, until further notice. My parents and my friend's parents feel like we all need to be closer. My family, Johanna and Gale with their kids, Stella and Zinna, and Grandpa Haymitch are moving to District 4 to be near Finnick and Annie and their kids, Ky and Triana.

All of these people that I'm going to be near are my family. They may not be related by blood, but that doesn't matter, I love them just as much. But just because I love them doesn't mean I'm too happy to give up my life in District 12. I'm leaving behind my dear friend Coraline and everything else that I've ever known.

My immediate family consists of me, Mom, Dad, and my thirteen year-old brother, Leo. Mom also has a baby girl on the way in six months. She's terrified, but not as much as she was with Leo and I. We're all very excited for the birth of the newest memeber of our family. I was so relieved to find out it's a girl. I love Leo, but we don't need another one of him running around anytime soon.

We'll be living in Victors Village near Annie and Finnick, who are the equivalent of my aunt and uncle. Their son, Ky, is one of my best friends. We haven't seen each other physically in quite a long time, but we talk on the phone everyday. He knows what it's like to have two victor parents, what it's like to hear them scream bloody murder at least one night a week. At nineteen, he's three years older than me, but we act as if it doesn't matter. And it really doesn't. Triana has insisted that he has a crush on me, but I don't think it's true. I sort of have one on him, but I think it will go away soon. Don't most crushes leave within a few years?

Johanna and Gale moved to District 12 with their kids when I was little. Stella's been my other best friend for almost as long as Ky. She has what Ky doesn't. A female perspective. I love hanging out with Ky, but I love being able to hang out with Stella and talk about girl things. Stella's little sister, Zinna, is best friends with Leo and Triana. I think that Leo and Zinna have a little crush on each other. It's obvious to everyone that they'll be dating when they get older.

I'm interupted from my thoughts by someone knocking on my bedroom door. "Shay! Time to get up for breakfast before we go to the train station. Bring your luggage." I hear Dad tell me. I groan in frustration. Can't we leave at a reasonable time? "Okay, Dad." I call in response before throwing the covers off of me and getting out of bed. I open my luggage in search for something I can wear today. I settle for a green tank top and cargo shorts. I chuck the clothes I slept in into the bag and make my way downstairs with it in tow.

I see Leo already sitting at the table with his bag by his side. He's actually excited to move away from District 12. It's hard for me to fathom why, but I'm happy that he's happy. I lug my bag next to me and sit down to eat my breakfast, which is one pancake. What can I say, I have a small stomach. I pick at it while thinking about what District 4 will bring. New friends? A new house? A new school?

"Why aren't you eating, Dandelion?" I hear Dad ask. I look down at my pancake. Untouched. "Nothing, just a lot on my mind." I say quickly. He smiles sympathetically. "I know this is hard for you, but you'll adjust. Besides, this means you'll get to see Ky more." I nod and try to eat my breakfast, but I can't even taste it.

Mom trudges downstairs with a scowl on her face. With all the morning sickness, she's been feeling terrible lately. She takes a seat at the table and digs into her food. Leo and I just stare at her. She's never had this good of an appetite. It must have something to do with the fact that she's pregnant. She looks up at as and notices our eyes are glued to her. "What?" she asks. We just shake our heads and go back to eating.

Dad looks at his watch. "Katniss, it's time to pick up Haymitch and the Hawthornes." he says. Mom nods and takes her plate to the sink as we follow. I grab my luggage and walk out of the door with my family. It's hard to believe that I might not be coming back here. I grew up here, it's my home. I wish that I could stay behind while everyone else goes, but of course, I'm still a minor. I hate being underage.

We walk to Gale and Johanna's house and just walk right in. It's like our second home, we never need to knock. Johanna greets us immediately. "Hey, Brainless." she says to Mom. Mom hugs her enthusiastically. "Hi, Jo." she responds. Gosh, I'll never understand those two. Stella and Zinna run to see us with their own baggage behind them. As usual, Stella comes to me while Zinna goes to Leo. "Stell! I'm glad I can bring at least one part of my life from here with me to District 4!" I exclaim while hugging her. She hugs me back fiercely. "I can't wait to go! We get to see Ky and his parents as much as we want." she declares. Gale comes in holding bags. "Let's go get the drunk." he jokes. I laugh. 'Drunk' is code for 'Haymitch'.

We pry Haymitch's door open and find him in his kitchen, drinking already. Only Haymitch drinks at 7:00 a.m. "Haymitch! Get you butt over here! It's time to leave!" Mom shouts. One thing I've learned over the years: don't make Mom angry, annoyed or aggrevated. Haymitch waves her away. "I'm coming, sweetheart. Don't get your panties in a twist." he grumbles. Ah, I love Haymitch.

All of us take a car to the train station to catch our 7:15 a.m. train, which we almost miss. Everyone but me is glad that we made it on time. When we take our seats, I sit inbetween Dad and Gale. The trip is supposed to be about two hours long. Within fourty-five minutes, I start to feel tired. My insomnia last night and having to wake up at such an early hour must be catching up with me. I rest my head on Dad's shoulder and drop my heavy eyelids. I feel him pet my hair before I go under.

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"Shay! Wake up, honey." I hear. My eyes are still closed. They flutter open and land on Mom looking at me. "Shay!" she says again. "What?" I ask groggily. She points to the window. "We're here." I pick my head up and find that everyone has already exited the train. Dad helps me up and we walk out. The moisture in the air hits me immediately. This might take some getting used to. The scenery is great, though. The sand is as white as snow. The ocean is almost see-through.

My parents lead me to Victors Village, where all of us will be living. First we stop at Finnick and Annie's house. Gale, Johanna, Leo, Stella, Zinna, Triana, just everyone besides Ky sits in the living room when we enter. Finnick and Annie jump up when they see me. "Shay, it's so good to see you again!" Annie exclaims. I hug her, but not hard. She looks so fragile that I feel like I could break her. Finnick hugs me after her. The difference in their strength is obvious. Finnick hugs me tightly, nearly cutting off my air. He lets me go and I breathe in deeply. "Sorry, kiddo." he says.

"No problem. Hey, where's Ky?" I ask. Finnick points to the kitchen. I only know this because all Victors houses are the same. I thank him and open the door to the kitchen. I see Ky facing the other way, getting something from the fridge. I mentally gasp. He looks so much different. He's much taller and more muscular. He's always been handsome, but I don't think I ever really payed attention until now.

"Ky?" He wheels around at the sound of my voice. His smile is even more radiant than I remembered. Suddenly, he has me in a big hug and is twirling me around. I giggle like a girl, something I never do. What's gotten into me? "Oh, Shay. I've missed you so much." he says. Ky sets me down and just looks at me, up and down. Is he checking me out? I push the thought out of my brain. This is Ky we're talking about, not some random jerk. "You look so much older." he decides after looking at me. "Hey, you're the legal adult here, mister!" He laughs at my joke.

He gestures for me to sit down at the dining room table with him. We start talking about how we've been. "Any boyfriends?" he asks. I blush. "No." I reply. "Oh, c'mon, you're beautiful! You can't not have a boyfriend." I blush harder, which only makes him chuckle. "No, none. You have a girlfriend?" I ask. He shakes his head. I nod. "Thought so." He laughs and slaps my arm. His hand slides down to mine, a surprising move. "I hope you end up liking it here. It's actually really great. The open sea, the sunsets. It's beautiful." He looks down and adds, "Like you." By now, my cheeks are dark red. Why am I blushing? This is my best friend! He has no interest in me, he's just being nice. Is he?

I chuckle nervously. "Well, thank you, but you're the Odair. You're handsome, just like your dad." I say honestly. He thanks me and we head to the living room. Everyone is celebrating our move, but I have other things on my mind. Why did Ky, my best friend, call me beautiful? Is he interested in me? No, he can't be. He's nineteen, I'm sixteen. Besides, Dad would _freak_ if anything happened between us. He's a legal adult.

Ky and I sit next to each other on the couch while everyone else is busy chatting. I feel him slip his hand onto mine and he gives it a squeeze. I look up at him and he gives me a warm smile. It makes me feel special in a way I don't understand. Maybe my time here will be better than I thought...

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**A/N: Sorry, I was working on this at 4:00 a.m., so if it's a little sloppy or rushed, I blame tiredness. My next chapter will be better, I swear.**


	2. Don't Tell

**A/N: I'm working on this and _Role Reversal _so I can't update everyday, but I'll try my hardest to update often. Please read and review!**

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We've been here for a week and I'm still not used to it. The moisture in the air annoys the heck out of me and the humidity is awful. Sure, the beaches are nice, but I'd take the woods of District 12 over the beaches of District 4 anyday. It's beautiful here, but I don't want to live my day to day life here.

My relationship with Ky is...complicated. Sometimes I feel like he likes me more than as a friend, but I usually push that thought out of my brain. I wouldn't want to ruin our friendship. Besides, I'm a kid, he's an adult. Anything outside the bounds of friendship is unspeakable.

Today we're going to the beach for the first time since being here. Well, I'm going Ky and Stella, everyone else is doing their own activity. Leo and Zinna are going to town together today. Hmm, I wonder how that will end up, two newly-teenaged kids who love each other spending a whole day together, alone. We're going to a private beach that Ky goes to in his spare time. I'm excited to do something besides moping around Finnick and Annie's house.

I get dressed in a tank top and shorts. No way am I swiming today. Ky will have to throw me in if he wants me to step foot in the water. Otherwise, I'm staying on land. I head downstairs and slip on a comfortable pair of sandals.

I meet up with Ky and Stella in the middle of the road between our houses. We meet here all the time now, though we all practically live in Ky's house. Our families eat dinner there every night and hang out there all day. Stella has a blue striped bikini on. Her makeup is perfectly in place, as always. She's such a girly girl. Ky has on a white tank top and swim shorts. I admire his muscles, even though my common sense tells me to stop looking at him this way. "You aren't swiming today, are you?" he asks. I shake my head. "No way, surfer boy." He laughs. "Well more ocean for us, then!" Stella says. We follow Ky's lead as he walks us to the beach.

The sand gets whiter and cleaner as we get closer to our destination. He finally leads us to a beautiful beach with no one else on it. Everytime I think I'm sick of District 4, it keeps on sucking me back in.

Stella gets in the water immediately, while Ky and I sit back on the sand. His hand is over mine, which sends shocks down my spine. Stella gets further out in the water, until she wouldn't be able to hear anything we say. "So, Shay, how did you get on in District 12 before coming here?" he asks. I shrug. "Fine. I miss it sometimes. I had a few friends, but none as good as you and Stella." He smiles. "Good to know. I've never had friends as good as you and Stella, either." We both know why. Because our families were all screwed up by the Capitol, something that brought them all together.

"Thanks." We sit in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Stella is still in the water. "So you seriously don't have a boyfriend?" "KY!" I shout. He throws his hands up in mock defeat. "Just asking! I wanted to know if you were taken." _Now_ I'm interested. "Why?" He looks down and shrugs. He's my best friend, I know that he does that when he's nervous. "Nothing, eh?"

He looks up and our eyes lock. I just stare into his sea green eyes, while he looks into my blue ones. Ky has always had the prettiest eyes. The ocean should be jealous of their color. His hand tentatively comes up to brush my cheek. It's a small gesture, but it's enough. I instictively lean into the touch. We're both leaning in slowly when I hear, "Hey, guys, are you coming or what?" Ky groans and pulls away. Way to ruin a moment, Stella.

Ky puts his hand out. "Shall we?" he asks. "You can, I'm staying on land." I say. He gets a devious gleam in his eyes. "Is that so?" I nod firmly. He starts walking toward the ocean when at the last second, he zooms around towards me. I try to get away, but he's too fast. Before I know what's going on, he has me over his shoulders. I squirm and hit him on his back, but he just keeps walking towards the ocean. "Ky, put me down NOW!" I scream. "No way, Shay." he laughs. His feet are in the water and he's going deeper. Suddenly, I feel him drop me. I land face-up in the water. My clothes are soaked and my top is see-through. I'm getting him back, no doubt.

I put my hand out. "Help me out, idiot." I demand. He smiles and takes my hand. Wrong choice, Ky. I pull him into the water with me. He lands in the water with a huge splash. "Shay!" I just smile and act as if I did nothing. He splashes me. "Oh so that's how you want to play it? It's on, Odair." "Bring it Mellark."

I cup my hands and splash as much water as I can get onto his face. He does the same to me, getting some in my eyes. I run my hand through the water and nearly smack him in the face with it. He dodges my next move and pulls me to him. We're both laughing like morons, not noticing the closeness between us. When the laughter dies down, I realize that I can feel exactly how close we really are. I look up at Ky. He's still smiling at me. He looks around to see where Stella is. When his eyes land on her a good two feet away from us, he presses his lips to mine.

I've never kissed anyone before, so I just follow my gut instinct. His lips feel soft and warm against mine. He tastes like the sea. I feel like I could get lost in his lips for hours. "'Bout time!" We break apart and see Stella grinning at us.

"I'll kill you, Stell!" I scream. She just giggles. "Once you two are done swaping spit, we need to get home. It's almost dinner time. Don't worry, though, I won't tell anyone about what I saw." I expected that much. Stella may be devious sometimes, but she's a loyal friend. "Thank you, Stell." Ky says. We get out of the water and start back home. On the way, my mind starts racing. I just kissed Ky Odair, my best friend. A part of me hopes this changes things, but a part of me wants things to stay the same between us. Of course a romance would be nice, but would someone my own age be better? He could get any nineteen year old girl he wants, but he instead kissed me, a sixteen year old. I hope that if this all blows up in our faces, we can still be friends.

When we get to Ky's house, I realize that I'm still wet. "Ky, I need dry clothes." He laughs when he remembers that we're soaking wet. "I have a tshirt and some sweatpants upstairs. Oh, and Shay," he leans in closer, "We'll talk about the kiss later, doll." Oh, so now he's calling me doll? "Ok, _darling_." I say mockingly. He laughs and we go upstairs to change.

Dinner rolls around and all of our family files in one by one. Triana takes one look at me and Ky and smirks. Darn it, how did she know? Dinner is terribly hard for me to sit through. I'm sitting next to Ky, trying to keep my cool when he puts his hand on my leg. I glare at him, but he just smiles. "Did you crazy kids have fun today? Do anything illegal?" Johanna asks. "Sadly, we didn't have time to go vandalize a school building or a children's hospital." Stella says casually. "So, what did you and Zinna do today, Leo?" Gale asks. He pulls the protective father bit everytime Zinna and Leo are together. "We went into town and checked out District 4." he answers. Gale nods in approval. Dad eyes me suspicously. "Shay, why are you wearing Ky's clothes?" he asks. "Um, I swam in my clothes roday and I didn't feel like going home to get my own when it was so close to dinner time." I get out. Dad looks only slightly convinved. I stand up with my plate. "I need to go think for a while." I say. Ky stands up. "Me too." We go into the kitchen and put our plates into the sink.

I turn to Ky. "Start talking." I demand. He sighs. "I have always had a giant crush on you. Over the years it...developed into something more. I want to try at a relationship. What do you think?" I feel my throat close. I don't know what to say. I just try to say what's in my heart. "Sure." It comes out almost immediately. I must have always felt like this deep down. He smiles and picks me up into a hug. "Wait a second, Ky!" I exclaim. He puts me down. "We can't tell anyone." He frowns. "Why?" He sounds hurt, which makes me feel like a jerk for suggesting it. I take a deep breath. "Because of our age difference. Our parents wouldn't approve." Ky nods sadly. He leans in and kisses me enthusiastically, while I respond just as happily. His hand slides up into my hair. Our lips are moving perfectly together. "OH!" I wheel around to find a shocked Johanna standing in the doorway. This will require a lot of explaining...

"Johanna, please don't tell anyone." Ky begs. Her eyes are wide. "I won't." She can't rush out quick enough. I guess us kissing made her uncomfortable. Ky sighs. "This is going to be a hard secret to keep." I nod. I just need to keep this from my parents. How hard can that be?

"Ky, how long have you liked me that way?" I ask. He blushes. "Since you were thirteen." What a coincidence, I started to develop a crush on him when he was sixteen, the year I turned thirteen. "Same year for me, too." I say. He smiles and gives me a short kiss before joining the others. I just remembered that I can't show any affection towards him out there. I hope we can keep this quiet. If we can't, our parents will kill us.

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**A/N: Hope you like! Please review, and remember, I'll be gone 21st-28th, so no updating.**


	3. AUTHOR'S NOTE

**A/N: I won't be able to update until the 29th or later, depending on how fast I can write the next chapter when I get back from a vacation on the 28th. Sorry! And I'd like some feedback on this story. Since I just started it, I want to know if you think it's worth writing further, or if I should give up before I'm too far into it.**


	4. One Big, Happy, MessedUp Family

**A/N: Sorry it took so long, but I had to update my** **other story _Role Reversal_. But, I have it now! Enjoy!**

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It's been a while since Ky and I started our relationship, and it's been smooth so far. The only people who know are Stella, Johanna and Triana. Triana claims that she could just 'see it on our faces'. Johanna and Stella actually saw us kissing. I'm just happy that Dad hasn't found out. He would skin Ky alive then lock me in my room forever. I'm sure that Mom would have a better reaction to it, I mean, she married Dad when she was only eighteen. But, of course, Dad was her age...

Ky starts leading me to town, somewhere I haven't been to since I got here. Stella is 'supervising' a trip to the beach to the beach with Triana, Zinna and Leo. She's just making sure that Leo and Zinna don't get too close for comfort. Stella is overprotective of her little sister, even more overprotective than I am with my little brother. I want them to be happy, though. Like Ky and I. At least Leo and Zinna are the same age, unlike us.

When I see what the town in District 4 looks like, I'm blown away. It's bigger than the town in District 12. And cleaner. It also has some of the perks that small towns have, like one of a kind shops instead of chains. It's beautiful. Ky puts his arm around my waist. "I hope you like it." he says. I kiss his cheek. "I love it." He smiles and leads me to a small but beautiful shop on the corner of the street. It's full of old antiques. Ky shows me to a corner of the store unpopulated by people. When he's sure everyone isn't looking, he kisses me passionately. We hardly find time to do this since we're always near family and friends. He sighs when I pull away.

"It seems like our families are bent on keeping us apart." he remarks. "They don't even know what they're doing, Ky. They don't know about us." He nods sadly. "I wish they did. I wish we could tell someone about it. I'm not afraid to admit that I love you." he admits. I blush. He hasn't told me that yet. We haven't been together too long, but we've known each other for our whole lives."I love you too.." I mumble. His ears perk up. "What?" Do I really have to repeat it? "I love you too!" I exclaim. I quickly put my hand over my mouth when I realize how loud I was. People are staring at us now. Ky smiles. "Thanks, Shay." I curse myself when I start blushing. "Shall we go somewhere to eat?" he asks. I nod quickly and nearly run out of the door.

Ky leads me to a diner near the center of town. It's very crowded. I'm thinking that it must be the hotspot in town. The waitress seems to recognize Ky. I mean, who wouldn't, he's an Odair. Everyone can tell that he's an Odair. It's obvious. The bronze hair, the sea green eyes. He's his father's son. "Mr. Odair! Welcome, welcome! We have a table for two open for you and your guest here." The waitress' voice is extremely annoying and high-pitched, but I keep my mouth shut. The last thing I want to do here is make an enemy. We sit down at the table and place our order. Once the waitress leaves, Ky takes my hand.

"When did realize that you had feelings for me?" I blurt out suddenly. I want to know why Ky is interested in _me. _I mean, I'm nothing special. I'm a sixteen year-old kid. He laughs. "When I came to District 12 for your 13th birthday, I saw how much older and beautiful you looked. I mean, you've always been beautiful, but it was different. That wasn't all. I realized how wonderful you are. You're sarcastic, funny, smart, kind, strong. You're just perfect. I saw you from a different viewpoint. The defining moment when I realized that I loved you was when Stella and Triana got you to sing the Hanging Tree. It was...indescribably beautiful. I kept it to myself because you were so much younger than me, but it just became too much to hold in when you moved here. I thought that it would be better to try for a relationship than to stand by and try to keep my crush under control. What about you?" I freeze up. When did I realize that I loved Ky? "It just sorta...crept up on me. I didn't want to love you. I didn't even try. It just _happened_." Ky looks pleased with my answer.

"I know how you feel. I didn't mean to love you, either. I was afraid that I would ruin our friendship if I revealed that. Even if we never had this type of relationship, you and Stell have always been the best friends I've ever had. Your parents are like my aunt and uncle, same with Johanna and Gale." I nod. "I feel the same way about Finnick and Annie." I reply. "Yeah, we're all one, big happy family." he jokes. "One, big messed up, happy family." I joke back. His face changes to one of worry. "Do you really think of our parents like that?" he asks. I didn't realize that he took that the wrong way. Of course I love my parents along with Gale, Johanna, Finnick, and Annie, but they have some problems.

"No, no, not like that. It's just that the whole reason our families came together is because they were all scarred by the Hunger Games and the War. Most kids don't have to hear their parents screaming and crying in the middle of the night, or watch their dad's grab the back of the chair and mumble things to himself for fifteen minutes..." I trail off. Ky grabs my hand and squeezes it. The message is clear, _'I'm here for you'_. I look up at him and squeeze back. I don't pretend that Ky holds me together, I do that for myself, but sometimes I feel like he helps me in that way. "Thanks, Ky." He just smiles. We eat our food quickly and get back to the sidewalk. Ky's holding my hand as we walk around. I feel totally at ease here. The sea air isn't as bad now and I don't really mind the hot sun. I see a rowdy group of boys on the other side of the street, some of them obviously drunk in the middle of the day. They can't be any older than Ky, and I think it's disgusting. One of them stops and winks at me. Ky's grip on my hand tightens. "Calm down, Ky. Let's just go home." I say. He nods and starts walking me out of town.

I get the vibe from Ky that those boys are trouble. He's taking on this dominant attitude, making sure that I'm not anywhere near them. We get back to Ky's house and find Stella sitting on the couch with Leo, Zinna and Triana. Stella is eyeing Leo and Zinna very carefully, like they could sneak off at any minute. "Hey, guys! How was the-" she catches herself before she says the word 'date'. "Um, how was the outing." she asks. "It was great! District 4 is way better than I thought!" I exclaim. Zinna laughs. "Leo and I have already seen it. Yeah, it's awesome." she says. Leo turns to her and smiles. This seems to put Stella on edge. "Okay, let's all sit down." she says hastily. Ky and I plant ourselves on the couch, waiting for our parents to shuffle in from their day out.

* * *

Everyone is sitting down at the dinner table, eating and talking. "So, how was your day out together?" Finnick asks, directed at Ky and I. "Pretty good." I say, trying to be discrete. Finnick nods and drops it. Mom looks fidgety and nervous. Mom's never nervous like that. "Mom, are you okay?" Leo asks. Mom nods and stands up. "Uh, everyone, Peeta and I have an announcement to make." she says. We all drop our silverware and listen. She takes a deep breath. "We went for an ultrasound today...well, we're not just expecting a little girl. We're expecting a girl _and_ a boy." Everyone gasps. Sure, we knew she was expecting a baby, but twins? I'm not sure how I feel. I'm getting two new siblings at the age of sixteen. I'll have moved out by the time they're two. "Congratulations, you guys! I'm so happy for you!" Annie declares. Johanna stands up. "Well, it's now or never. I'm knocked up, too. Four months." My mouth drops open. It looks like Mom isn't the only pregnant one in this room.

Everyone is silent for a minute. Even Haymitch. We're all shocked. She's in her second trimester, and she figures it out _now_. Annie breaks the silence by asking what everyone is thinking, "How did you not know?" Gale stands up with Johanna. "She didn't have a lot of symptoms. She only puked once or twice and the mood swings are sorta constant, like they are with all of us." The adults nod in understanding. Sometimes Mom will freak out at the most minor things, while the bigger things really don't bother her. Dad's mood usually remains constant, unless he's having an episode, which doesn't happen too often. Even when they do happen, he just hangs onto a piece of furniture until it's over. Johanna is just Johanna, sarcastic and bold. She has nightmare, like all the others. Annie is a bit off. Mom tells me that she's better than she used to be.

I'm happy that my little siblings will have someone their age to hang out with. Zinna and Triana will be too old to relate to them, and Ky, Stella and I will definitely be too old. Ky raises a glass next to me. "A toast to the new members of our big, weird, happy family." he announces. A smile breaks out on all of our faces as we raise our glasses with him. "To our family members, blood related or not." I say. We clink the glasses with the people around us, all mumbling 'toast'. It amazes me that such a horrible history can bring three families together. I love everyone in this room so much. Stella, Zinna and Triana are like my sisters. Ky has always been my best friend, and now he's my boyfriend. Gale, Johanna, Finnick, and Annie are like my uncles and aunts. Haymitch is like a grandfather. I can't imagine my life without them.

Dad stand up. "Well, I'm sure that our kids will get along great, like the rest of them do." He looks at Ky, who just happens to have his hand on my leg. When Ky realizes that, he gets his hand away from my leg quickly. Dad looks a little suspicious, but nothing that I should be too concerned about. "I think that we're all done, don't you?" asks Finnick. We all nod and put away our plates. Afterward, I feel someone grab my arm. I turn around to see Stella with her other hand clinging to Ky's arm. "I want details." she says simply. I roll my eyes and lead them upstairs to Ky's room. When we're inside, I shut the door tightly, just to make sure no one walks in when we're talking about this. Stella sits with her arms across her chest. "Spill it." she demands.

I roll my eyes at her again. "What exactly do you want to know?" Ky asks. Stella smiles deviously. "I want to know all the romantic details." I laugh. Stella is such a romantic. She wishes desperately that she had someone who loved her in that way. She'll probably get that soon enough. She's very pretty. Her hair is a beautiful dark brown and her eyes are a deep chocolate color. Her skin is fair like Johanna's.

Ky starts, "Well, we went to an antique shop first. It's huge, so I just used it as an excuse to have some private time with Shay." He puts his arm around me suggestively. I slap his chest playfully. "Then we went to a restaurant and just talked and hung out." I say. Stella doesn't look impressed. "We ran into some drunk boys on our way home." I mention. I feel Ky get tense. "They're bad news, Shay. We should all stay away from them." he says seriously. Stella and I are visibly confused, as we don't know why Ky seems to hate them so much. We just let the subject drop, but the question stays with me.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for reading, please review. I love reviews! Tell me, what do YOU want to see in the next chapter?**


	5. New School, New Friends

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, but I have a life outside of Fan fiction. Shocker, right? If any of you feel like Ky and Shay are moving a little fast, just remember, they've known each other since they were in diapers. I think it's safe to say that this is one of the slowest building romances in history. Also, based on a suggestion I got, I'll be making a chapter dedicated to Leo and Zinna soon.**

* * *

Johanna is officially expecting a boy. You'd expect her to act different now that she's pregnant, but she's still just Johanna. You could say that Johanna already acts like a pregnant woman, but you know what I mean. She and Gale are still working on a name for him, but Mom and Dad have pretty much settled on the twin's names. The girl will be Minerva and the boy will be Atticus. Leo and I helped pick out the names. After all, no one was there to tell Mom and Dad not to name us Shaylee and Leopold. Ky says my name is beautiful, but I prefer Shay to Shaylee.

Stella finally did it! She found a really great boy here in District 4. His name is Casper and from what I've seen, he's a sweetheart. He treats Stella like she's a princess. This is the boy she's been waiting for all her life. Ky likes him, too, but he feels like he needs to one-up him in the romance department all the time. I don't mind though. I like seeing his romantic side.

Today the first day of school for all of us except Ky. He already finished high school. I'm a little nervous to go through the day without Ky near me, but at least I'll have Stella. Leo and Zinna are starting 8th grade while Stella and I are starting 11th.

I drag myself out of bed when my alarm goes off. It's six a.m. and I feel like I could collapse back into bed at any moment. It's still dark outside. This time is ridiculous for school to be opening. They should seriously consider changing it. I go to the bathroom and brush my dirty-blonde hair. I let it hang down. I brush my teeth and go back to my room to change. Almost as soon as I pick out my outfit, there's a knock on the door. I groan and open it, expecting it to be Mom or Dad. It's Stella.

"Good morning, Shay!" she greets happily. I resist the urge to slap the smile right off her face. "What do you want, Stella?" I ask groggily. She shakes her head disapprovingly. "You didn't think you'd pick out your outfit for the first day all by yourself, did you?" she asks. I laugh. "Well, I have been dressing myself since I was three, Stell." She ignores me and opens my closet. She scans the racks like a predator looking for prey. It scares me, to be quite honest. I have a feeling that she's going to pick out the girliest thing she can find.

She finally picks out a light tan dress with a balloon pattern on it. It's the only dress that I'm willing to wear anymore. "This will do." Stella says. She looks through my shoes before picking out sandals of a similar color. She shoves them at me. "Go change then come back here." she commands. I go to the bathroom and do as I'm told.

I get back to my room and see that Stella has lined up an array of makeup. I back away in terror. I've never worn makeup and I don't plan on starting today. Stella grabs my arm before I can leave. "Shaylee Primrose Mellark, you sit down right this instant." she demands. I wince slightly but give in. Stella smiles then turns my chair around so I can't see the mirror. She takes out some powder, mascara, and other assorted items. There's nothing too flashy like lipstick or eyeshadow. She opens the compact with the powder and gets a brush. "Let's begin."

* * *

Stella finishes the last of the makeup and spins me around so I can see myself. I gasp when my face comes into view. My skin looks flawless, no bumps or blemishes anywhere. My eyelashes are longs and graceful. The eyeliner highlights my sky blue eyes, my favorite physical feature. I look natural, not in any way over done.

I turn to Stella. "Thank you so much, Stell. You're a makeup genius." I say with gratitude. Stella smiles and laughs lightly. "Let's go get some breakfast from your dad then go get a ride from Ky." she suggests. I nod then walk downstairs with her.

Dad is already at the stove in the kitchen, cooking some pancakes. "Good morning, ladies." he says quietly. "Be careful, she's sleeping. You don't want to wake a pregnant woman. She'll bite your head off." he says, referring to Mom. Stella laughs and takes a seat. "I'll keep that in mind, Uncle Peeta." Dad smiles and sets our plates down. We eat quickly, not wanting to waste time. We need to get to Ky's house quickly, before 6:45. We'll have just enough time to get there.

After practically inhaling the pancakes, we grab our bags and head out the door. "Bye, Dad!" I call quietly. He waves. Stella and I walk over to Ky's house with our bags slung over our shoulders. I knock softly on the door, not knowing who's asleep and who's not. Ky answers the door, fully dressed and ready to go. "Hop in the car." he says. We get in the convertible and head off. I'm in the passenger's seat next to Ky.

"Are you guys nervous?" Ky asks. Stella and I look at each other and nod. He laughs like we're being ridiculous. "Don't worry. As soon as they hear your last names, everyone will want to know you." he says. I roll my eyes. I'm sick of being known as the child of the starcrossed-lovers of District 12, the child of the Mockingjay, the child of the rebels. I love my parents, but I want to be known as _me_, Shay Mellark. I don't want to be known for what my parents did. I'm sure Stella and Ky feel the same way.

Ky senses my nervousness and holds my hand throughout the whole drive. I look up and give him an appreciative smile. He squeezes my hand and smiles back. At least I know I can always count on him.

We stop in the parking lot of the school. Ky holds out his hand to me. I take it and we get out of the car with Stella. "I'll walk you guys in and introduce you to the teacher." he says. I freeze in confusion. "Teacher? Don't you mean teachers?" I ask. He shakes his head. "In District 4, you have one teacher for all classes." I wish someone would have told me. I would've been less nervous all day.

I see the sun finally coming into a better view, illuminating the parking lot. Ky takes a long look at me. "Beautiful." is all he says. I blush and look at my feet. I'm still not used to compliments. "Move it along, people, we don't want to be late!" Stella announces, ruining the moment. I groan, but comply.

Ky leads us into the school. When we get inside, almost everyone turns to us. They obviously know Ky, but they're also eyeing Stella and I. It's easy to tell who our parents are. I look like an exact clone of Mom other than my hair and eyes, which make me resemble Dad. Stella looks like Johanna, except she doesn't have the spiky hair cut. We ignore them and keep walking. I hear whispers, "Is that a Mellark?", "Is that Johanna Mason's kid?", "It's an Odair, Mellark and Mason all together! What a sight!" They act like we're celebrities or zoo animals. I see Stella cringe every time someone says Mason instead of Hawthorne. Even though Gale was a big part of the rebellion, people tend to leave him out.

We enter a big classroom with about thirty other kids. The teacher is an older woman with her gray hair up in a messy bun. "Welcome, welcome! It's good to see you again, Ky." she greets. Ky smiles politely. "Mrs, Greene, I'd like you to meet Shay Mellark and Stella Hawthorne. They're new to District 4." Mrs, Greene's face light up like she's hit the jackpot. "My goodness, the children of some of the most important people in history! Welcome to District 4." she says. I inwardly cringe at her excitement to have a Mellark and a Hawthorne in her class.

"You may take a seat now." Stella and I oblige happily. We sit right next to each other. I look around to see everyone staring at us with wide eyes. I know what Stella would say if we were in District 12. 'Take a picture, it will last longer!" But we're trying to make a good first impression. We have to be on our best behavior if we want to make a good first impression. "Okay, now that everyone is here, we'll start on our first subject; history." I roll my eyes. I think I know where this is headed.

"Now, you all have been told what the Hunger Games are and what they were established for, but the school board would like to try something different." Mrs. Greene says. She grabs a pile of paper and begins passing them out. "With your parent's permission, we'll be watching the 74th annual Hunger Games. The victors are Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark." Everyone turns to stare at me. I shrink back into my seat. I hate all this attention. Besides, I won't be able to watch it. Mom and Dad will freak when they find out that the school wants me to watch the very thing that they have nightmares about.

Stella and I look at each other for a few seconds, both knowing that our parents will never sign this. If Mom could, she would keep me in a giant bubble, safe from the world around me. She's a little paranoid about what might happen to Leo and I when we're out of her sight.

We sit through algebra, science, geography, and english before the bell rings for lunch. I heave a sigh of relief. After lunch is over, we get to go home. Stella and I walk to the lunch room closely together. It's crowded with a flood of tan kids with bronze or brown hair and sea green eyes. I'm only slightly creeped out by the lack of diversity.

Because the districts were segregated for so long that each adopted its own style of hair, eyes and skin coloring. It hasn't been that long since the rebellion, much less compared to how long the games went on, so each district is still trying to bring in people from different districts to create some variety. It will take some time, but they're getting there.

I look around at each table for some empty seats. I spot a table in the very back with only one girl sitting there reading a book. I get closer and see that she looks much different than everyone else. She has lily-white skin, complimented by her curly copper hair and bright green eyes. She looks up when Stella and I approach the table. "Hello." she says quietly with a calm face. Stella and I say hello back and sit down. "Is it okay if we sit with you?" I ask. She nods and puts her book down. "I'm Hova, by the way. Hova Heavensbee." she says casually. The last name sounds familiar, but I just can't quite decide where it comes from...

"And you?" I'm brought back to reality by Hova's voice. "Shay Mellark." I answer. "Stella Hawthorne, not Stella Mason, no matter how many times you hear it." I can't help it, I just laugh out loud at Stella's annoyance. Hova smiles a little and nods. "So, what brings children from famous families like yours to District 4?" She asks us in a purely curious way instead of a wonderous or condescending way like most people would. "Well, our families just wanted to be near each other." Stella answers. Hova raises her eyebrows.

"How many families are you talking about here?" Stella and I give her a look that says, '_oh, if only you knew.'_. I answer, "Three families and a drunken grandpa." Hova's eyes bug out. She shakes her head. "I won't ask." she says. Stella and I laugh. "You shouldn't."

* * *

Stella and I wait outside for Ky's car with Hova, who's waiting for her own ride from her brother. I give her a hug a few minutes before Ky is supposed to arrive. "I'll see you tomorrow." I say. She pats my back and smiles. "I look forward to it." Stella shakes her hand in a very Stella way, distanced but fierce, like her mother. Ky pulls up and honks his horn. Stella and I hop in and wave goodbye to Hova as we drive away. Ky looks surprised that we made a friend so quickly.

"Who's she?" he asks. "Hova Heavensbee." Stella answers. Ky turns to look at her, looking alarmed. "Hova Heavensbee? The daughter of Plutarch Heavensbee?" The confusion probably shows on my face. "Who's he?" I ask. Ky shakes his head disapprovingly. "You know when our parents are complaining about that guy who is constantly trying to get interviews with them and won't leave them alone? Yup, that's him." I sink down into my seat, mortified. How did I not know his name? Our parents are always trashing him to each other. I just won't tell them about Hova. It's not like I'll stop talking to her. She seems like the first person who likes me for ME, not for my parents.

Ky pulls into his house, where everyone should be around this time. I feel my pocket for my permission slip. I decide that I'll at least give this a shot. How bad can their reaction be? Wait, don't answer that...

Mom hugs me when I get inside. Well, to the best of her ability with her pregnant stomach. "Hey, honey. How was school?" she asks sweetly. It's hard to believe that the mother I know now was once a vicious tribute. "It was nice. Well, everybody looked like Uncle Finnick and Ky, but otherwise, it was nice." Mom exchanges a look with Annie. "Yeah, we figured that it would be like that." Annie interjects. I laugh and plop down on the couch. Stella plops down next to me. "Mom, Dad, Aunt Katniss, Uncle Peeta, Shay and I have something to ask you." Stella announces. I slip my hand into my pocket and pull out the slip. "We were wondering if you would..." Stella trails off, probably in nervousness. "If you would sign these permission slips to let us see the 74th annual Hunger Games in history class." I finnish for her.

Mom goes pale. Dad looks down. Gale releases a deep breath. Johanna eyes us suspiciously.

Gale is the first to speak, "Well, um, I-I think this might actually be, well, good for you two to see." Johanna looks over to him angrily. "Are you kidding? Why should they have to watch it like we did? Is this a new thing? Watching the Hunger Games for freakin' fun? Why didn't they tell us, I would have had a little Hunger Games themed party!" She stands up and goes to the stairs. "Yeah, maybe I'll just reenact mine. I'll chase you guys around with an axe!" She storms upstairs. I sigh. Pregnant Johanna is much more irrational than regular Johanna.

Dad lets out a shaky laugh. "Well, I guess we can safely assume that's a no for you, Stell." We all laugh lightly. I gather up what little courage I have left. "Sooooo...can _I _see it?" I ask. Mom and Dad look at me like I'm crazy. "Why do you want to see it?" Mom asks. I shrug. "I want to see what you guys went through. I think it would help me understand you guys better." Mom and Dad look at each other. Neither of them look convinced. Gale pipes up, "I think this could be good for her, guys. I mean, don't you want her to know what could have happened to her? Doesn't she have a right to know why we're all so messed up?" Dad nods to himself.

"Maybe we should let her, Katniss. We can't shield her forever." he says. Mom nods, albeit unhappily. "Fine. Fine, sign the form and let her see it. I don't care anymore. Hey, while we're at it, why don't we show Leo, Zinna and Triana the Quell?" she says, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She storms upstairs like Johanna did.

I see Gale already signing Stella's form. Dad takes out a pen and signs mine. "Thanks, Uncle Gale." I say. He smiles at me. "No problem, Shay. Just hope your Mom and Johanna don't find out."

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**A/N: Sorry for the wait, I was in Florida for a while. REVIEW, PLEASE!**


	6. Leo and Zinna

**A/N: Sorry for the wait, but I've been super tied up with school. It's hard to find writing time that isn't writing assignments for GT English.**

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Stella and I rush into school without a second thought as to what our mother's reactions will be when they find out about us watching the games. Johanna is acting like herself on steroids right now with all of her pregnancy hormones. Mom has mood swings. One minute she's happy and cheery, the next she's hugging me and sobbing about how I grew up too fast and that she's going to lose me soon. Dad and Gale have warned us that any little thing could set them off. We need to be considerate of their feelings and not get into fights with them when they're in their angry mood.

We take the same seats in class that we did yesterday and place our permission slips on the desk carefully. The class is in that stage of time before class starts when they're talking away. I'm silent and so is Stella. I'm having conflicting feelings about seeing the games. On one hand, I finally get to witness the things that my parents have told me about but never let me see. On the other hand, am I really strong enough to see my own parents, who I love more than anything, fight to the death right in front of me?

I shake the thought out of my head. I'm a Mellark, of course I'm strong enough. My family has been through more than most. If my parents can do what they did, then I can stand to watch these games that happened so long ago.

"Settle down, everyone." Mrs. Greene commands. Each person in the room goes silent. It's obvious that they respect her. She seems nice enough, but I think I'll have a problem with her excitement over Stella and I.

Mrs. Greene goes around the room collecting permission slips from everybody. When she gets to Stella and I, she looks shocked that our's are signed. She turns to me. "Well, I guess your parents have let go of the past." she says. I just smile and nod, but inside I'm thinking, '_If only you knew_'. She grabs the forms and moves on.

After collecting the forms, she moves to the front of the class. "Well, it looks like everyone's forms have been turned in. We can proceed with the video." Mrs. Greene turns on the moniter and the seal of Panem pops up. I'm instantly nervous. I look over to Stella. She mouths, '_It's okay_'. I nod and turn my attention back to the front.

On the screen, I see a very industrious and rich looking place. I assume that it's District 1. A ridiculous looking representative for the Capitol is standing on the platform. Her green hair is puffed up to a weird height, while her tight green outfit makes her look like she's about to burst. I smile a little when I remember meeting Effie Trinket, whose style was parallel to this. I zone out slightly, uninterested in the other Districts. I know the story already, having heard it from my parents when I turned twelve.

I start to pay attention when a young girl from District 11 is called. _Rue_. My parents have told me about her so many times, especially Mom. I know she feels guilty for not being able to save her, but I always have to remind her that she did the right thing in the end. The screen flashes to a dreary looking District 12. Effie is pulling a name out of the bowl. "Primrose Everdeen!" she screeches. I swallow hard. That's my middle name, the name of my deceased aunt. A young girl with blonde braids in her hair nervously walks forward. She tucks in her shirt as she goes. I feel pity for her in that moment, even though I know what will happen.

"Prim!" someone shouts. A teenage girl with raven hair in a braid and olive skin starts making her way towards Prim. I instantly know that it's Mom. It looks like me with Seam features. "Prim!" she shouts again. The peacekeepers restrain her from reaching Prim. "I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!" she screams suddenly. Everything is deadly silent for a second. The peacekeepers let her go like she's contaminated. Mom starts walking up to the stage, but Prim latches onto her. "No!"

"Prim, leave." Mom says coldly. She won't let go. A handsome young man with dark hair and olive skin grabs Prim from behind and picks her up. I almost gasp when I realize it's Gale. "Up you go, Catnip." I can faintly hear him whisper. He still calls her that to this day. As he carries away a screaming Prim, Mom climbs up onto the stage, holding in any tears. Effie waddles over to her with a microphone. "Well, it looks like we have a volunteer." she says surprised. "What's your name, dear." she asks in her shrill voice. "Katniss Everdeen." Mom answers sadly. "I bet my buttons that was your sister." Effie responds. Mom stays silent. "Well, let's have a big hand for District Twelve's first volunteer!" Effie screeches. No one claps. Instead, they place three fingers to their lips and raise them up, a gesture that means goodbye to someone you love. It is usually used at funerals, obviously, as it is the 'I'm never going to see you again' type of goodbye.

Effie looks a bit confused. "Ok, well, time to pick our male tribute." she says. Effie struts over to the male bowl and picks a name out. "Peeta Mellark!" she announces. At first, no one comes up. Then, I see a young man with ashy blonde hair, bright-blue eyes and a strong build walk up to the stage slowly and nervously. Dad. As they stand next to each other, I realize how good-looking my parents were. They look good now, but nothing compared to their sixteen year old selves. The reaping disappears and skips to the tribute parade. Stella and I reach for each other's hands at the same time. We are in for a long few hours...

* * *

**Zinna's POV**

The bell rings, meaning one thing; lunchtime! During lunch, which is a few hours, we get to go anywhere we want. As long as we come back, no one cares. I rush to find Leo and Triana. Even thinking of his name makes me giggle. Why does Leo make me feel like this?! It frustrates the heck out of me. I don't like him like that. He's my best friend! He has been since we were little! That would just be gross.

I see Leo wandering around the lockers, his dark hair and olive colored skin making him easy to spot in this sea of bronze. "Leopold Mellark, get your butt over here!" I yell. Leo turns around and gives me a dirty look. "Just a minute, Zinna Melody Hawthorne!" he shouts back. I make a mental note to kick his butt later for using my middle name.

Triana walks towards us, her dark brown curls bouncing behind her. "Sorry, Zinna, but I have to go meet my dad for a father-daughter lunch." she says. "That's okay, we can restrain from ripping each other's throats out while you're gone." She smiles knowingly. "Don't pretend you don't like him, Zinna." I groan. Triana is such a know it all! "I do _not_ like him in that way. He's my best friend, just like you." I reply. She nods her head. "Suuuuuurrrrrreeee." she exaggerates. Triana leaves with a smirk on her face, right as Leo walks up to me. "Where's she going?" he asks. I shrug. "Eh, nowhere. It's just you and me today, buddy." I slap him on the shoulder. He holds his arm out for me to grab. "I know the perfect spot."

* * *

We settle down near a tree in a park. It's cleared of most people, who are sitting over in the sun. That means no screaming kids to deal with.

"How are your classes, Zinna?" Leo asks. I shrug. "Fine. Boring without you guys, though. I have no one to whisper or pass notes to." Leo laughs. "Haven't you learned your lesson about passing notes?" he asks. I shake my head. "Just because the teachers don't remember what it was like to be a kid doesn't mean I have to stop passing notes!" Leo shakes his head at me in fake disapprovement. "You better start behaving, Mrs. Hawthorne." he says in a stern voice. I throw my bread at him. "Eat your food and shut up, boy."

Leo scoots closer to me with his plate in his lap. I feel the closeness instantly. It makes me slightly uncomfortable, but I kinda like it. I feel unexplainably warm on the inside. Leo gets bolder with his actions and places his arm over my shoulders. Part of me wants to punch him in the face for even trying to pull off a cheesy move like that. I'm a little confused, too. He's my Leo, my best friend, my partner in crime. I don't think I should add 'my boyfriend' to the list. Nonetheless, I let him keep his arm there.

"Pass the rest of the bread, please." I ask. Leo complies and hands me a plate full of bread. I break off a piece and hand it to Leo. He takes it gratefully and uses it as an excuse to scoot even closer to me. I try to imagine what my dad would do. He'd probably murder Leo. Leo is like a son to him, but I'm also his 'little girl'. He'd have to get in line behind Stella, though. She'd kill him, too.

We pass a few hours eating and talking before it's time to get back to class. We walk back together, hand-in-hand. It's nothing unusual for us. "See ya later, Zinna." Leo says. He kisses my cheek and walks back to his classroom. He's kissed my cheek before, but this feels different. It means something different this time. The feeling of friendship has changed into a weird crush like feeling. As I walk back to class, I find myself wishing that he'd kiss my cheek more.

* * *

**Shay's POV**

The games have started. The first thing I see is the cornucopia in the distance. Everyone is standing on these metal plates. I spot Mom and Dad on plates far away from each other. It's an odd feeling knowing you are about to witness your parents try to kill each other. The countdown starts.

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

...1.

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**A/N: Tada! The Leo/Zinna part was requested by someone and I thought I'd give it a shot. Again, sorry it took so long. PLEASE REVIEW!**


	7. Good' News

**A/N: Sorry for the wait! I have sooooo much schoolwork and a broken keyboard. I have been getting some suggestions about things like having Leo and Zinna find out about Shay and Ky (and vice-versa), and having Haymitch drop some hints about Leo and Zinna's relationship. Please know that I will try to incorporate these ideas into the story whenever I can. Enjoy!**

* * *

Stella and I walk to the lunchroom together, still processing what we just saw. It's a lot to take in at once, especially for the child of two contenders. We sit down at the same table as last time. I don't even look up to see if Hova is there, but I assume she is. I feel Stella squeeze my shoulder. "Are you okay, Shay?" she asks. I nod reluctantly. "Yeah, I'll be fine." I say, even though I'm not sure I mean it. I look up and see Hova staring at both of us, concerned. "You guys look like you've seen a ghost." she observes. Stella laughs. "You could say that."

"We saw my parent's Hunger Games." I explain. Hova nods in understanding. "I've seen a few, too. I can't imagine what it's like to see your own parents in it." I give her a smile to thank her. "So, your parents approve of you watching them?" she asks. Stella and I laugh. "Our dads, but not our pregnant, moody moms." Stella jokes. Hova laughs, lightening my mood a little bit. "Will you tell them about it?" she asks. Stella and I answer with a simultaneous,

"NO."

* * *

As Ky drives us home, I think about what I saw today. Do I want to tell Mom about it? "Shay?" I hear. I look over to to driver's seat. "Yeah?" I ask. Ky gives me a concerned look. "You don't look so good." he tells me. I shrug. "Don't know why. I'm fine." I tell him. He doesn't look convinced, so I give him a smile for good measure. Ky nods his head. "Okay... I'll let this go." "Thank you." He smiles deviously. "For now." I shoot him a death glare. That shuts him up.

We pull into the driveway. Stella and Ky get out, but not me. "Ky, get back in here." I demand. He looks at me, confused. "Now." I say, harsher. Ky relents and gets back in the driver's seat. "Beach." I say simply. He nods and begins driving. "Wha-" Stella starts to say before we drive off. Once we are a good distance from the house, Ky asks me, "Why did you do that?" "I'll explain later." I say quickly.

Ky looks concerned, but he just keeps driving. I'm still sulking in my seat like I've been doing since he picked us up.

We stop near the beach and Ky helps me out of the car. I take his hand and follow him the the secluded beach that has become our refuge these past few months.

"So, what's wrong," Ky asks as we sit down in the sand. I let a breath out first. "Ky, how long have we been together?" I ask. He shrugs. "About 3 or so months. Why?"

"I don't know how much longer we can lie to our parents. It hurts me to do it, too. Why can't everything just be out in the open?" I ask. Ky puts his arm around me, but the look on his face tells me his answer is a clear, 'No'. "Shay..." he begins. I cut him off, "Ky, I love you and I don't know if I want to keep lying to our families about this. Wouldn't it be much easier to just tell them before they end up finding out for themselves?" Ky shakes his head. "You're only sixteen, I'm nineteen. You're a minor and have to do what your parents tell you. I don't think our parents would allow this unless..." I wait for him to continue. "Unless what?" I ask. He sighs.

"Unless we were married, Shay."

* * *

**Zinna POV**

I'm sitting on a chair in Triana's house, doing my homework. I don't know where Leo is. We usually always do our homework together. For a split second, I worry that maybe he felt the difference in the air between us and got scared off. It's possible, right? Maybe he doesn't want things to change between us and he's keeping his distance.

Ugh, I'm thinking like a total _girl_. What happened to the Zinna who was one of the boys and didn't notice them like that? I wish I could go back to being her.

Haymitch stumbles into the room, not completely drunk. He's toned the drinking down since Shay was born, but not by much. "Hey, sweetheart, where's your boyfriend?" I roll my eyes at Haymitch. Of course he thinks I'm dating Leo. We've been attached at the hip since childhood like Shay and Stella. "He's not my boyfriend, Haymitch." I say. He laughs. "Yeah, sure."

"Idiot..." I mumble. Leo walks in as if on cue with his textbook in hand. "Look who decided to show up." I say. "The girl here has been lost without you." Haymitch adds. I try my best to glare at him like Mom can, but I'm sure I'm failing miserably. Leo ignores Haymitch, thankfully. "Sorry I was late. I needed to get a book I forgot at school." He sits down next to me and turns to the correct page in his history textbook.

"So, we were on the rebellion, right?" he asks. I nod. "We were at the part where our parents invaded the Capitol and took control of Snow's mansion." The fact that our parents were in the rebellion doesn't phase us anymore. We've known about it for a year now. We act like it's nothing.

"I hate having to hear this all again in school when I already know the full story." Leo says. "Couldn't agree more. I've been told the exact same thing already, so why do I need to re-learn it?" Leo laughs. "Why do we always feel the same way about these things?" he asks. I shrug. "I don't know. Maybe we're just connected like that." Leo nods slowly. "Yeah... connected..." We hold each other's gazes for a minute. I can't help but realize that our eyes are exactly the same. Heck, we look exactly the same in other ways, too. Both of us look like we could be from the Seam because of our parents. Some people mistake us for twins.

I swear that I see Leo lean just a tiny bit. It feels natural, almost- "DINNER!" I hear Mom yell. Leo groans in frustration. I think I know why, too. "Well, we should go eat, shouldn't we?" I ask. Leo nods sadly. "Sure. Let's go eat, Zinna."

* * *

**Shay's POV**

I stare at Ky in shock. "Married?" I gasp. "Yes, married." I shake my head quickly. "That's not a good idea, Ky. We're so young that no one would approve." I insist. "We don't need approval, and age is but a number, isn't it?" "But we've only been together for a few months!" I exclaim. "We've loved each other for years." he reminds me.

I'm still in shock and trying to wrap my head around the idea of marriage at sixteen. I consider my options. I could keep dating him for another two years and pray my parents don't find out (or Johanna, Stella and Triana don't rat us out), or I could announce that Ky and I plan to marry and force them to comply. I'm so confused.

"I need to think about it, Ky." I say. He raps his arms around me. "That's fine. I didn't expect you to give me an immediate answer." I smile, thinking of how lucky I am to have someone like Ky who understands me so well. "Thanks. Maybe we should drive home before our parents get suspicious." Ky helps me up out of the sand and we walk back to the car together.

* * *

When we arrive at Ky's house, everyone is eating dinner. It hits me then how long we were at the beach. Everyone turns to stare at us. We take our seats very uncomfortably. Dad is the first to speak up. "Would you two please explain why you were late to dinner?" I cringe. Knowing how over protective Dad is, Ky will have to be an amazing liar.

"We just went to the beach for a while, Uncle Peeta." he says smoothly. "That's all?" Gale asks. Why must I have so many father-figures? We both nod. "Stop grilling them, I'm sure it was perfectly innocent." Finnick says. It's times like these that I'm happy Finnick is so laid-back. Mom is shooting daggers into Ky's eyes. "Just know this. If you hurt my little girl, I'll be happy to break out my bow." Ky gulps. "I would never hurt her, Aunt Katniss." Mom nods happily. "Good."

Johanna looks at us. "Well, since you two trouble makers were off doing God-knows-what, you missed the good news!" "Huh?" I ask. "We're moving back to District 12, sweetheart." Haymitch tells me.

My mouth drops. "But why?" I ask. "We want to raise the babies where we raised you and where we were raised ourselves." Dad says. "This isn't fair!" I demand. "What do you mean?" Johanna asks. "My whole life is here now, just like it was in 12 before, and now you want me to abandon this one that you encouraged me to make?!" Gale tries to calm me. "Shay, just settle down. You'll readjust." I shake my head. "I don't WANT to readjust again! I'm not going, I tell you. I'm not!"

"You're going and that's final." Mom insists harshly. I want to scream, throw something, just anything to get all this anger out. "Doesn't anyone care about how I feel? I JUST made a new friend. Her name is Hova, but does anyone ask? NO! Stella has a boyfriend she loves. They might never see each other again! Does anyone even care? Nope!"

"Shaylee Primrose, don't raise your voice to your mother." Dad says sternly. I turn to him. Speaking in a calmer voice, I say, "Sorry, but I lied to you all. I have someone here that I love very deeply and I am unwilling to leave them. I WILL marry them if it is needed for me to stay here." Dad, Gale and Finnick all ask at the same time, "Who is he?!" I close my eyes. "Not now." I walk out of the dinning room, near tears, and head for our house so I can just go to bed.

* * *

I wake up to someone shaking me. I look up tiredly and see that it is Ky. "What are you doing here?" I ask groggily. "I wanted to check on you." "That's all?" I ask. He looks down. "I also wanted to ask you if you were serious about what you said." "What did I say?" "About marrying me?" he reminds me. I snap my fingers. "Ohhhh, that."

Ky shoots me a look. "I'm serious. Are you actually considering it?" I grab Ky's hand and hold it in mine. "More than considering, Ky. I will marry you." He stare at me before firmly pressing his lips to mine.

"When?" he asks breathlessly. "As soon as possible." "Will we tell everyone before hand or just elope?" I think about it. I don't want to rob all of our families of this moment. "We'll tell them, but make it known that we won't take no for an answer." Ky nods like an idiot. "Oh, Shay. I love you so much." "I love you too, Ky." He smiles and scoots me over on the bed to make room for him. He snuggles in and holds me close as we both drift off to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry if I'm terrible at fluff! So, do you think the family will take this news well? Tell me what you think should happen!**


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